AMS Design Blog

Tracks on Loop : The Sun is Here!

2012-05-25T14:00:00.000+01:00

The sun is here this weekend in London and shining brightly, a weekend to spend lounging in parks and drinking on pub terraces. Happy weekend everyone!

Branding : Provo Bakery by Elyse Taylor

2012-05-25T09:00:00.000+01:00

Just looking at this branding project for Provo Bakery is making me hungry. I love it, and the fun names of the products (doughtnut holes, hehe) are just the icing on the cake.

You can check out more of Elyse's work here.

Branding : Coffee Duck by Gaslight

2012-05-24T09:00:00.000+01:00

I love this branding project by Gaslight, a Russian design studio that specialises in creating new fonts.

Coffee Duck is a coffee shop in Russia, and Gaslight created the logo and font, aptly calling it 'the Duck Font'.

"Logo and concept are inspirited by small shop at the beginning of 19 century, where quiet and comfort valued much more than bazaar. In this shop we tried to build up domestic comfort with peace and silence."

Love/Hate : Luis Alves's Pattern Posters

2012-05-23T09:00:00.000+01:00

This kind of artwork is not the kind of thing that I tend to like. I usually find it too busy and and cramped to enjoy the illustration.

Having said that, I really love these posters by Luis Alves. The colours are great at the patterns are intricate without being too fussy. And they are all drawn by hand.

Check out more of Luis's work over here.

The Children’s Theatre Company’s Curtain Call Ball by Cue

2012-05-22T09:00:00.000+01:00

I love this wizard of Oz inspired invitation to the Children’s Theatre Company’s Curtain Call Ball. The ball is an annual fundraiser that supports theatre programs for young people.

"The invitation captures the whimsy and fun of the classic 1939 film, but with a contemporary, grown-up feel. Guests are encouraged to wear vintage tuxedos and gowns to get into the spirit of Hollywood’s Golden Age. We drew inspiration for the design from a variety of period sources – vintage movie titles, book covers, and textile patterns."

Monday Moodboard - Inspiring me this week : 21.05.12

2012-05-21T09:00:00.000+01:00

1. Trust me - you'll like this link.

Source : http://www.stumbleupon.com/

2. Love these Louis Vuitton creatures.

Source : http://beverlyhillshoneys.com/

3. Great advertising idea using a pint of Guinness and a QR code.

Source : http://www.adweek.com/

4. The ultimate Geek card.

Source : http://www.minieco.co.uk/

5. I'd love to give this to a smelly teenager.

Source : http://www.mentalfloss.com/

6. Fantastic packaging.

Source : https://www.facebook.com/

7. Artists series by Steve Payne

Source : http://artistsinspireartists.com/

8. Gregory Euclide's microcosmic world made from park rubbish.

Source : http://www.designboom.com/

Tracks on Loop : Please Don't Rain

2012-05-18T14:00:00.000+01:00

This weekend a few of us AMS designsters are heading to the Open Air theatre in Regent's park to watch a preview of Ragtime. We just really hope that it doesn't rain! Please!

Branding : Purity by Heydays

2012-05-18T09:00:00.000+01:00

I love this branding project by Norweigen design studio Heydays for Purity, an IT-consultancy focusing on green IT.

The branding is so simple and very elegant, and it doesn't hurt that I have a bit of a soft spot for green.

Branding : Top Hops Beer Shop NYC

2012-05-17T09:00:00.000+01:00

Take a look at this great branding project by Helm's Workshop for the Top Hops Beer Shop, NYC.

"Top Hops is a culture-center for craft beer in Manhattan. It’s the kind of place where seasoned beer geeks can share their enthusiasm and new craft beer fans can learn a bit more about the magic combination of hops, yeast, barley and water."

I am definitely putting this on my 'places-to-visit-when-I-finally-go-to-New-York' list. You can see more work by Helm's Workshop over on their website.

Love/Hate : Hand Lettering Quotes by Sean McCabe

2012-05-16T09:00:00.001+01:00

This week, I love these hand-lettered quotes by Sean McCabe.

Sean is an American - deep breath - Type Designer, Illustrator, Interface Crafter, Musician, Christian, Husband, iPhone Photography Enthusiast, and Coffee Lover, phew, that;s a long list.

All his projects are pretty damn cool, but I especially love this series of quotes. There is lots more work on his website, including some very cool 'making-of' snaps.

Greetings From a World of Stereotypes

2012-05-15T09:00:00.000+01:00

This is a little project that I have been working on about preconceptions about various nationalities. Stereotypes are a funny and fascinating thing. Having lived as a Brit in Switzerland for just under 10 years, stereotyping was something that I faced on a daily basis. In the UK, it rains all the time, we all have bad teeth, we eat horrible food and everyone knows the Queen.

Needless to say, stereotypes are rarely very accurate by today's standards. Sure, they must all come from somewhere but I'm guessing it's the same place where people can get shot 20 times and still get up and fight and girls wake up in the morning with a fresh face of make-up.

So here are a few greetings from some stereotyped characters. I'm most interested in finding out which stereotypes are global and which are more local. For example, the 'typical' Frenchman wearing a beret and a stripy top was not identified by my Swiss friends.

Take a look and let me know what you think, try and guess who's who, the answers are at the bottom, good luck! :)

1. American (south)

2. Australian

3. British

4. Canadian

5. French

6. Irish

7. Italian

8. Japanese

9. Russian

10. Spanish

11. Swedish

Monday Moodboard - Inspiring me this week : 14.05.12

2012-05-14T09:00:00.000+01:00

This week's moodboard features some fun movies facts and some funky jellybean art.

1. Make Everything OK. For those days when everything just seems a little crappy.
Source : http://make-everything-ok.com

2. Jellybean art by Kristen Cumings
Source : http://www.kristencumings.com

3. Nikolaj Lund Portraits of Classical Musicians
Source : http://www.thisiscolossal.com

4. Scratchboard Illustrations by Robert Richard.
Source : http://www.illustrationserved.com

5. Drawing machine 1 by J.L.Griffiths.
Source : http://josephlgriffiths.com

6. 25 fun movie facts.
Source : http://baconwrappedmedia.com

7. Funny 'pop stick' bangles by Kate Spade.
Source : http://www.moredesignplease.com

8. Recreation of Scorched Room with Black Thread.
Source : http://www.mymodernmet.com

Tracks on Loop : The Secret Concert Revealed

2012-05-11T14:00:00.000+01:00

Last weekend the founding members of this blog headed over to a secret concert in their local pub. We want to share with you some of the amazing bands we saw there, plus a few other little gems.

Our favourites were The Hall of Mirrors, Oh Burgundy and Treetop Flyers.

Happy weekend everyone!

Branding : Simon Says Corporate Identity

2012-05-11T09:00:00.000+01:00

Simon Says is a Hungarian design company specialising in visual identities. This is their personal branding, including a cool logo, stickers, badges, t-shirts and skateboards.

You can visit their website here.

Artist Showcase : Alexis Marcou

2012-05-10T09:00:00.001+01:00

Alexis Marcou is an artist that I have been following for a while now. Currently living in Greece, he originally graduated from Plymouth University back in 2006 and has since been commissioned by a number of big brands such as Hewlett Packard, Cisco, and Nike. He has also had his work used in books, in magazines, and for apparel and logos.

As if this wasn't enough, he also took some time out to do a wonderful project for DACS (Designers Against Child Slavery), featured at the bottom of this post.

I absolutely love his style, be sure to head over to his website to see more of his amazing work.

Love/Hate : Concept Art by Michael Kutsche

2012-05-09T09:00:00.000+01:00

This week I am a little bit obsessed with the concept art of Michael Kutsche.

Michael Kutsche is a self-taught German artist based in Los Angeles, California. He's worked on character designs for films like “Alice in Wonderland”, “John Carter”, and "Thor".

I love his style and the characters he designs, be sure to head over to his website to check out a wider range of his work.

Branding : Jacu Coffee Roastery by Havnevik

2012-05-08T09:00:00.000+01:00

Take a look at this amazing branding for the Jacu Coffee Roastery in Norway by Havnevik, a Norwegian design company with one hell of a portfolio.

The name of the roastery is comes from the Jacu bird, which flies from coffee plant to coffee plant eating all the best cherries then pooping out the coffee beans, that are then collected and turned into a very exclusive coffee, yum! I have already tried a similar weasel coffee, but not Jacu coffee.

"JACU COFFEE ROASTERY was established in 2011. Like the jacu bird, they pick and roast only the best beans. They look for great plantations, optimal processing, and the roasting profiles which will make the most out of each bean. They work with passion, patience, and without compromise."

I especially love the business card in the envelope with the wax seal, the eye to detail in this project is just stunning.

Tracks on Loop : Bank holiday weekend!

2012-05-04T14:00:00.000+01:00

This weekend is another busy one, first I have the birthday party of one of my very good friends, then on Saturday I have a secret concert at one of my favourite pubs, the Colonel Fawcett, and then on Monday I have the day off to lounge around the house or discover some lost part of London, depending on the weather.

Happy weekend folks!

Branding : Zsófi Dobos by Eszter Laki

2012-05-04T09:00:00.000+01:00

This branding project was designed by Hungarian designer Eszter Laki for Zsófi Dobos, a young architect and interior designer.

I love the simplicity of the design, proof that some times, one stamp can go an awful long way.

To see more of Eszter's work, you can head over to her blog here.

Showcase : The Barbatonics

2012-05-03T09:00:00.000+01:00

This week I am a little bit obsessed with these little characters, the Barbatonics. They are incredibly cute and really quite weird and a little bit creepy. There are 7 characters in total, designed by Elisa Sassi and digitally sculpted by Quailstudio (a.k.a Amaury Lemal) - I repeat - DIGITALLY sculpted, these little beasties aren't even real toys yet.

Take a look at Michi, for example, a little angel crying as he takes the cutest little Panda up to heaven. Cute, weird and creepy - I love him.

Head over to QuailStudio for more projects by Amaury Lemal and to elisasassi.com for to see more of Elisa's work.

Love/Hate : Monster Milk by Eskimo

2012-05-02T09:00:00.000+01:00

Like a lot of people, I don't drink a huge amount of milk, in fact other than in my tea and cereal, I don't drink any milk at all. Milk is boring. If I'm thirsty I'll drink water and if I'm after something healthy then I will reach for the fruit juice, other than that my drinks either contain copious amounts of sugar or copious amounts of alcohol.

Then along comes Eskimo, a company who have rebranded milk and made it into a fun and quirky drink. I love the concept, the copy is pretty atrocious but hey, English is not their mother tongue so you can hardly blame them, and it might even be deliberate.

Via identitydesigned.com

Branding : Julian Restaurant by Jordan Gray

2012-05-01T09:00:00.000+01:00

Take a look at this branding for Julian, a "new neighborhood restaurant in Kansas City that features refined twists on familiar comfort food from James Beard award-winning chef Celina Tio".

I love the colour palette and the logo is pretty sweet. You can see more work by Jordan Gray Creative over here.

Monday Moodboard - Inspiring me this week : 29.04.12

2012-04-30T09:25:00.000+01:00

This week's moodboard features some tips that will change your life and a bird poop chandelier.

1. "Today I’m Feeling Turquoise" is a book all about colours and their meaning.

Source : http://www.underconsideration.com/

2. 25 Clever Ideas to Make Life Easier.

Source : http://thefrugalfairy.com/

3. A bust made out of Euros.

Source : http://www.thisiscolossal.com/

4. Dieter Rams’ 10 Principles of Good Design and How to Apply Them in Graphic Design.

Source : http://www.youthedesigner.com/

5. Star wars identities poster series.

Source : http://www.behance.net/

6. A mini-man destroying his life with an axe.

Source : http://www.mymodernmet.com/

7. Bird poop chandelier, hehe.

Source : http://design-milk.com/

8. Movie poster from a different angle, this is awesome.

Source : http://laughingsquid.com/

Tracks on Loop : April Showers

2012-04-27T14:00:00.000+01:00

So hopefully the end of April will also mark the end of the terrible, terrible weather that we are having in the UK at the moment - London can be beautiful in the rain, but enough is enough.

I hope you are having more luck wherever you are. Happy weekend!

Planet Flight Prints

2012-04-27T09:00:00.000+01:00

Hey everyone, just a quick post this morning to let you know that we have released some Planet Flight prints over on Society6.

You can take a look at Planet Flight here or skip straight to the prints here.